Ore No Ryori 2 is a superb sequel to a great PC remake of a Sony Playstation game that was a huge hit in Japan but never made it across the continent. As manager-cum-chef of a restaurant, your job is to cook the right orders for customers while running the business at the same time. Since you are both manager and chef, the game offers a seamless blend of action and strategy: the frantic action of cooking is seamlessly combined with the challenge of business management to offer an intrigue and addictive experience.

During the restaurant’s business hours, your job is to prepare customers’ orders correctly and serve them quickly, before they get annoyed and leave. There are over 70 recipes you can cook, including beers, soups, steaks, sandwiches, nachos, and pizzas to name but a few. Each of the food items must be prepared to perfection to get the full price – deliver a full glass of soft drink when a customer orders “half glass full,” for example, and you will only get half the price tag. Food preparation is a matter of quick reflexes and good timing, and the interface is easy to learn.

Although the frenetic pace of the cooking portion alone is enough to make ONR2 a great game, that is not all you can do. The strategic portion comes into play after restaurant closes for the day. Here, you take off the chef’s hat and put on the manager’s hat, making buying decisions such new recipes, a tip jar (to get tips, of course), buffet display, TV, advertising, and cooking equipment (which can speed up your cooking time tremendously and help your blistered fingers ). Also, you must comply with the safety ordinance law by doing dishes, disposing waste, repairing equipment, and generally doing your best to keep the restaurant clean and tidy – and pass safety inspection checks that will occur at random. You must also answer phones, check mails, read news, and even catch crooks who want to rob your store.

There are many secrets and challenges throughout the game to keep the challenge fresh and exciting. These include over 20 trophies you can win by achieving various milestones, such as getting a certain amount of tips, getting several safety inspections perfect in a row, capturing crooks, and beating challenges. The challenges are a lot of fun, although a tad too difficult for those of us (including me) who are not action experts. Fortunately beating the challenges is entirely optional, which makes the game accessible gamers of all skill levels.

With a great design that is faithful to the Playstation original (despite worse graphics) and augments it with many more recipes and challenges, Ore No Ryori 2 is a great freeware gem that fans of action and business simulation alike will enjoy. Those who have played the Playstation game will find the management options to be a logical extension of Sony’s game. Don’t let the amateurish graphics fool you – this is one of the most original and addictive freeware games you’ll ever come across. Highly recommended.